Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28
For The EVENING STAR
An HOUR ON TIE CAP.STONE.
4 Remarkable Test Of VIII Power.

\ recent roraancer details In THE STAR an
ImpoSssDie experience on the apex OF the
Washington Monument and his marvellous
Te,tue oy means of air-Ship. As piece OF
thrilling narrative of what ones feelings might be
under such circumstances IL was very skillfully
dom. Bu5 the present narrator is not dealing
IN Jac fictitious when he essays TO describe the
sensations OF one perched for an hour on the cap
Stone OF that majestic pile known as the Washing
tor Monument
do not recall when IL vas that the suggestion
originally came to me 10 make never-before at
tempted experiment, which was nothing less than
u liit myself by sheer force OF will to the very
topnOst stone of the pyramid. / am free TO say
that the idea was at first dismissed as the most
fantastic conceit- But it grew more serious the
longer ponierei &c. reflected that it is sobery
maintained Dy the theoSOphistS that matter can
b. disintegrated, conveyed on currents of the VIII
To a distant point, and there reintegrated.
further called To mind some OF the wonderful
achievements OF the Fakirs and Yogis OF India
and ieit convinced thai there must be some I'm
lIOJrB farce tar it 0cc0rdnnce lrith aOhicb al
tie ordinary lars Of matter might be set ut de-
gdUsce, at least GppOreHtiH
lnaeed Is this not the trend Of all modern think
1hS-aS evidenced in the metaphysics and the
Toil.tnceS OF our timer YEA in the world Of in
EentIOn also, as shown by the Keely motor. What
BiIiwer save us in '.ZanOni:" Thackeray in his
ISOfad0bOiIt PoPers in the Notch on the Axe;"
Haggard In ''Sheu are but the first scattering
drops OF a Hood in literature which threatens 10
crown out all the old schoo. OF mere society tatte
IL fiction.
And when we analyze a little further we shall
Ind that these rOmanct5tS but following In
The track of the most subtle philosophers For the
IdeGiLsss N philosophy, with Bishop Berkeley at
their head, have declared, with much show OF
reason, that matter is but the minds creation. IL
has no real external existence.
1 must beg little Indulgence, and assure you
that this Is all related my ascent TO the cap
stone, you shall see in moment.
Recurring TO the doctrine OF the philosophers
concerning the nOn-existence OF matter, ana al
Undo in hat nr 10 in
which Skeptic2l world will treat the most sub
lime philosophy. q disciple Of the fdeta school
Overhauled by policeman II refuse to go with
You. sir said the man under arrest. 81 am fol-
lOwerOf Berkeley. do no: believe in the reality OF
the external world deny goar existence"
-C0Bge along all The s,Ine" replied the very mate
nal cop, as he dragssed his prisoner to jail That
Is about the amount OF attention an unbelieving
world pays 10 the most subtle science. 'COme
along all the same" and We irreyerently
thrust down from faith In anything.
But concluded that for once would make a
fair and honest test. Men are wasting time in
trying 10 ascertain the paraliax OF stars 10000
100000 of miles distant; why should / not once
seriously attack this awful problem which presses
upon US right here on our own planet in this year
madethe experiment.
Ii by chanee these people who are always MAIN
tanning that there Is some unknown law or latent
force which We cannot account for should, by any
chance, be hight, why should wish TO initiate
that long,eared animal who shows his flrmness by
Planting AtSdEDnI feet at an angle Of 40 degrees?
SHADOWS OF SHADOWS.
Matter moy be but shadow, further reasoned
with myself The m5nu-csre people have but just
lately "caught ON ito the slang OF the day to
an old philosophy. For tt follows, by the most
rigid logic, that III matter is nOn-eXiStent then all
Diseases which are but modes of matter, must be
but shadows OF shadows, which may be wh1sked
away more easily than cobwebs with broom.
Disease Is mott Think IL Is not, and 1t yanisheS
into thin air. The immortal bard was mind
c0rIst.s Throw phySic TO the dogSi" he said, and
asked, as though that were the seat Of all disease
''CanSI thou minister 10 a nitnd diseaSed?'
so thought i, and thousand other things OF
kindred significance bearing on the pOint-the
point TO which i proposed TO lift myself in the
early morning hOurS-paSSed rapidly through my
mind Lift DiyseL-be it remembered, by sheer
Will power, $50 feet against the law OF pOnderos-
1ty, against the law OF gravity, against every
dictate of common sense. The thing grew on Inc.
was wrought up TO a higher pitch of nervous ex-
element. \ supernatural thrill took bold of Inc
as approached the piie which l deemed favora-
Die for the experiment. was already in sort of
ecStGsy. The city lay asleep; no wOrkmen were
aSI1r as yet The solitary Waterman left TO guard
ps, Of sraniEe aouid have rnn on with the NOM
uinenC bodily, If L had only been little more
earnest in my belief OF the doctrine Of the ideal
lists, that II had no real existence.
frAL such an unciVlliZed hour 1t Will be SurmfSed
that was without my breakfast. / had taken a
double precauLiOn in this. / would not only be
able TO concentrate my mental powers more
Closely for the awful strain / was about to put
upon them, but would be three or four pounds
lighter. II am very moderate eater, and have
given a minimum estimatel. My overcoat weighed
several pounds. l laid that aside. for though it
The tremendous exertiOn / would put forth would
keep NE from feeling the cold. just as was
about laying down my coat, heard a footstep
anli.s;.w THAI the vigilant watehman had walked.
-aelto! he said, mot goin to drown yourself In
Babcock Lake."
'.No!' replied; ''too chilly to-day for that kind
OF Nonsense" and with that the fellow went of to
his breakfast, whiStIng 1.-The poiceman'S lot is
when i was certain that was absolutely alone
closed my eyes, concentrated my thoughts for
what seemed to me 1if1een or twenty minutes
r
Jour- Then suddenly was seized upon by the
most peculiar sensation. had never known any,
thln2 Ike IL, save In dreams, when had seemed To
De- borne by mere power of the will through the
air-r,sing slowly and descending easily
bicycle giideS down Capitol HILL
This sensation was now upon me for the first
Time IN my waking moments. For brief instant
eysfy tning seemed TO be IN whrl and whrling
Win ali Things. The next second was resting
FAIR AND PLUMP ON THE CAP-sToNE.
IL must be remembered that though to the eye
the eap-stone looks like point it is not actually.
There is nat surface, at least foot square, at
the terminus, as the photographs taken before it
temporary convert To the ideal school, still If there
had teen verltaDie, bona TIDE, Sharp-as- light
ming point should haye6een SSeptical enough to
have looked for a hole in my cOrdurOys on my
descent from my most periious position
But there was, sure enough and safe enough.
The impossible was accomplished, and the old
siInie about thing being ''aIs easy rolling OF
ioS might now be changed for me intO-as easy
a. eiplng 10 the top OF the Washington MOnu-
meDt- The fog was so thick / could scarcely see
my hands in front OF Ine. i knew i should have
most magnificent prospect beneath in the
course OF an hour, when the misJS would clear
away As was able 10 see but little distance |
did not have the usual sensations OF dizziness
peculiar 10 ollch great altitud 5. And / reasoned
that would he able 10 gradually accustom myself
10 the height, as pering through the slowly lifting
1Ug- should see the distance deepening between
LIE -n.I the solid earth FAR below.
do not know how long may have been In that
SITUATION, but certainly not beSS than an hour /
heard the whistle OF the early ferry boats. and
OEfe Imagined that could discern, over the fog
banks IN the distance, the spires OF the ancient
ciJJ Of Alexandria. recalled afterward that my
courage shortly began 70 leave Ine, and i came
bScA TITO a very material, even skeptical, frame
OF mind found myself doubling my ability 10
concentrate Lay thoughts sufficiently TO let myself
Gown gain safely from that dizzy height.
Then philosophy came TO add TO my fears, and /
HaS completely unnersed. For remembered now
much easter bodies would descend than ascend
iherc was my friend, the DOCTOR, VINO could pun
LIS way up capitol Hill on La .bike@ long before
lie would ever have dreamed OF riding down the
NIL Fool, that Old not think OF this before. and
D=5ln my experiment on lamp-posJ. j knew /
should need Il current of Will beyond my power TO
summon should be picked up a ShapeleSS mass
IN the early morning, and 1HE EVENING STAR would
SlYe ule a notice headed:
"a GOOD MAN 6oSE wRoSG-ASOTHER CRANK LESS {"
fell 20 hallOoing, but soon thought how useless
II Was 10 do that. was more than one-tenth OF a
a